US8998720B2 - Media appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A media appliance comprising: video apparatus for outputting signals to a screen; a control device allowing a user to control the output of signals from the video apparatus to the screen, thereby selecting a viewing activity; a network interface for accessing a packet-based network; a memory storing a communication client application; and processing apparatus, coupled to the memory, network interface and video apparatus, and arranged to execute the communication client application; wherein the client application is configured so as when executed to allow the user to conduct bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network, and output notifications to the user of incoming communication events received from other users over the packet-based network; and wherein the client application is further configured to defer one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during said viewing activity, determine a delineation in the viewing activity, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 or 365 to Great Britain Application No. 1005458.3, filed Mar. 31, 2010. The entire teachings of the above application are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a media appliance such as a television set or set-top box having an embedded processing apparatus for conducting voice or video calls via a packet-based network.

BACKGROUND

Some communication systems allow the user of a terminal, such as a personal computer, to conduct voice or video calls over a packet-based computer network such as the Internet. Such communication systems include voice or video over internet protocol (VoIP) systems. These systems are beneficial to the user as they are often of significantly lower cost than conventional fixed line or mobile networks. This may particularly be the case for long-distance communication. To use a VoIP system, the user installs and executes client software on their terminal. The client software sets up the VoIP connections as well as providing other functions such as registration and authentication. In addition to voice communication, the client may also set up connections for other communication media such as instant messaging (“IM”), SMS messaging, file transfer and voicemail.

One type of communication system for packet-based communication uses a peer-to-peer (“P2P”) topology. To enable access to a peer-to-peer system, a user executes P2P client software supplied by a P2P software provider on their terminal, and registers with the P2P system. When the user registers with the P2P system, the client software is provided with a digital certificate from a server. This may be referred to as a “user identity certificate” (UIC). Once the client software has been provided with the certificate, then calls or other communication connections can subsequently be set up and routed between end-users (“peers”) of the P2P system without the further use of a server in the call set-up. Instead, the client looks up the required IP addresses from information distributed amongst the P2P client software on other end-users' terminals within the P2P system. That is, the address look-up list is distributed amongst the peers themselves. Once the IP address of a callee's terminal has thus been determined, the caller's P2P client software then exchanges UIC certificates with the callee's P2P client software. The exchange of these digital certificates between users provides proof of the users' identities and that they are suitably authorised and authenticated in the P2P system. Therefore the presentation of digital certificates provides trust in the identity of the users.

It is therefore a characteristic of peer-to-peer communication that, once registered, the users can set up their own communication routes through the P2P system in at least a partially decentralized manner based on distributed address look-up and/or the exchange of one or more digital certificates, without using a server for those purposes. Further details of an example P2P system are disclosed in WO 2005/008524 and WO 2005/009019.

VoIP or other packet-based communications can also be implemented using non-P2P systems that do use centralized call set-up and/or authorization, e.g. via server.

A problem with packet-based communications is that their accessibility to users is limited. In particular, such communications are most commonly accessed using a personal computer. This has the disadvantage that the user must be sufficiently technically competent to download, install and operate the packet-based communication client software on their personal computer, which provides a barrier to the take-up. Even when the communication client is installed and executed on a personal computer, its use may be limited because personal computers are often not located in a place where the user is either familiar or comfortable with communicating. For example, a personal computer is often located in a study which for many users is not the most natural or comfortable environment for making phone calls.

Whilst packet-based communication systems can also be accessed via certain mobile devices, these generally do not have processing resources or display screens available to offer a full range of features, such as video calling.

It would therefore be desirable to make packet-based communications more accessible to users. One way to do this would be to run a packet-based communication client on a processor embedded in a familiar household media appliance like a television set or set-top box for plugging into a television. Embedded in this context means within the casing of the appliance. The ability to integrate an embedded processor into a television set or set-top box is known, and indeed many modern televisions and boxes already contain a processor for performing at least some of the digital signal processing required to decode and output viewable television signals to the screen.

SUMMARY

However, the inventors have recognised that one or more potential problems may still exist due to a conflict between the added functionality of the client application and the existing functionality of a conventional television.

Particularly, operation of the client is likely to interfere with the user's viewing, because incoming calls will be asynchronous with the current state of the television. That is to say, the calls are not chosen to be initiated by the user of the television, but instead arrive over the packet-based network at unpredictable times at the initiation of another, remote user, and therefore may arrive when the television is occupied with other viewing activities such as viewing television programmes or viewing content from other sources like an external DVD player, games console, etc.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a media appliance comprising: video apparatus for outputting signals to a screen; a control device allowing a user to control the output of signals from the video apparatus to the screen, thereby selecting a viewing activity; a network interface for accessing a packet-based network; a memory storing a communication client application; and processing apparatus, coupled to the memory, network interface and video apparatus, and arranged to execute the communication client application; wherein the client application is configured so as when executed to allow the user to conduct bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network, and output notifications to the user of incoming communication events received from other users over the packet-based network; and wherein the client application is further configured to defer one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during said viewing activity, determine a delineation in the viewing activity, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

Thus the present invention automatically defers notifications of incoming calls or other communications until after the user's viewing activity has finished or has otherwise reached a suitable juncture, prompting the user with the notifications once that time has been reached. This means a user will not be unduly disturbed by asynchronous incoming communication events during the viewing activity in question, but instead will be prompted about those communication events later at a more suitable time.

In one preferred application of the present invention, the media appliance may comprise a television receiver for receiving television signals representing television programmes via a television network; the video apparatus may be coupled to the television receiver, and operable to output the television signals of selected television programmes from the television receiver to the screen; the control device may allow a user to control the output of television signals to the screen, thereby selecting a television programme as said viewing activity; and the client application may be configured to defer one or more notifications of incoming communication events received during the selected television programme, determine a delineation in the selected television programme, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

The television receiver may be arranged to receive the television signals via a broadcasting network.

The media appliance may be one of: a television set comprising said screen, and a set-top box for plugging into a television set.

The incoming communication event may comprise an incoming packet-based voice or video call.

In preferred embodiments, the client application may be configured to determine said delineation based on information received by the television receiver via said television network, relating to the selected television programme.

Many modern television signals are transmitted in association with additional programme data (in addition to the audio and video of the programme itself). E.g. in digital television broadcasts, data on programme timing may be multiplexed along with the audio and video data into a transport stream. This timing information may comprise real-time indications of when programmes actually start, finish and potentially when they contain commercial breaks; and/or may comprise nominal schedule information such as an electronic program guide (EPG). In embodiments of the present invention, this information can advantageously be used to determine the time until which notifications should be postponed.

So for example, said information may comprise programme schedule information relating to the selected programme. The client application may comprise an API for accessing the EPG received by the television receiver via said network, and may be configured to determine said delineation based on scheduling information from the EPG relating to the selected programme.

In another example, the client application may be configured to determine said delineation by detecting a real-time indication received by the television receiver via said network relating to the selected television programme, and output the one or more notifications to the user upon detecting said indication. Said indication may indicate one of: the end of the selected television programme, and a break in the selected television programme.

The latter example is particularly preferred, since it allows the actual real-time end of the program or real-time breaks, rather than using a nominal schedule. However, the former case may also provide a reasonable approximation in absence of a real-time signal.

Another possibility is that the client application may be configured to determine said delineation based on information received over the packet-based network via the network interface relating to the selected television programme.

The client application may be configured to detect said delineation based on a timer set by the user.

The client application may be configured to detect said delineation based on a user input indicating the delineation.

The notification may take the form of either audible and/or on-screen notifications. In the case of on-screen notifications, it is particularly preferable that they should be deferred until after the programme or other viewing activity in question.

Therefore in further embodiments the client application may be configured to output the one or more deferred notifications for display on the screen.

Furthermore, the client application may be configured to output the one or more deferred notifications for display on the screen along with an on-screen control allowing the user to initiate a return communication with a corresponding other user via the packet-based network.

This advantageously facilitates more efficient return of the call or other communication.

In further embodiments the client application may be configured to return, prior to said delineation, an automated message to the one or more other users of the one or more incoming communication events received during the viewing activity.

The client application may be configured to use the programme schedule information to supply expected information regarding said delineation, and therefore the user's expected availability, in said automated message.

Thus it is possible not only to defer a notification until after the programme or other viewing activity in question, but also to inform the other, remote user about the lack of availability. Particularly desirable is to use the programme schedule information to predict for the benefit of the remote user when the called user will be available again (e.g. when his or her television programme will be finished).

In a further embodiment the communication client may comprise a user-setting arranged to toggle between a first mode of operation in which notifications of incoming communication events received during the viewing activity are deferred, and a second mode of operation in which such notifications are not deferred and are instead output to the user during the viewing activity.

In further applications of the present invention, the video apparatus may comprise a gaming system operable to output graphics signals of a video game to the screen; the control device may allow a user to control the output of graphics signals to the screen, and to thereby select the video game as said viewing activity; and the client application may be configured to defer one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during the video game, determine a delineation in the video game, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

The client application may be configured to detect said delineation when a player dies or loses within the video game.

The video apparatus may comprise an input from an external source of video signals, operable to output the video signals to the screen; the control device may allow a user to control the output of video signals to the screen, and to thereby select the external source for said viewing activity; and the client application may be configured to determine said delineation based on a status of the external source.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a media appliance having video apparatus for outputting signals to a screen, a network interface for accessing a packet-based network, and a processing apparatus for executing a communication client application; the method comprising: receiving an input from a control device allowing a user to control the output of signals from the video apparatus to the screen, thereby selecting a viewing activity; and executing a communication client application on the processing apparatus of the media appliance, so as when executed to allow the user to conduct bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network, and so as to output notifications to the user of incoming communication events received from other users over the packet-based network; wherein the execution of the communication client application further comprises deferring one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during said viewing activity, determining a delineation in the viewing activity, and automatically outputting the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

In embodiments the client application may be further configured in accordance with any of the above features of the media appliance.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication client application for operating a media appliance having video apparatus for outputting signals to a screen and a network interface for accessing a packet-based network, the communication client application comprising code embodied on a computer-readable medium and configured so as when executed on an embedded processor of the media appliance to: receive an input from a control device allowing a user to control the output of signals from the video apparatus to the screen, thereby selecting a viewing activity; enable the user to conduct bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network; output notifications to the user of incoming communication events received from other users over the packet-based network; wherein the client application is further configured to defer one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during said viewing activity, determine a delineation in the viewing activity, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

In embodiments the method may further comprise in accordance with any of the above features of the media appliance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how it may be put into effect, reference is made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a communication system,

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a remote control unit,

FIG. 3ais a schematic block diagram of a television set,

FIG. 3bis a schematic block diagram of a games console,

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a user interface, and

FIG. 5ais a schematic representation of a deferred call notification,

FIG. 5bis a schematic representation of another deferred call notification,

FIG. 5cis a schematic representation of another deferred call notification, and

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates transmission of a transport stream.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows acommunication system100 comprising a packet-basednetwork101 such as the Internet; and further comprising a separatetelevision broadcasting network108 such as a terrestrial, satellite or cable television network. A plurality ofcomputer terminals102 are shown coupled to theInternet101, each comprising a network interface for communicating over the Internet. A plurality oftelevision sets103 are also shown coupled to theInternet101, each of which also comprises a network interface for communicating over the Internet.

In addition to the network interface, eachtelevision set103 further comprises a television receiver for receiving analogue and/or digital television signals which are broadcast over thetelevision network108. Alternatively or additionally, atelevision set103 could be arranged to receive packet-based television signals over theInternet101 or other such packet-based network. However, broadcast television is still popular at the time of writing and so in preferred embodiments thetelevision set103 will comprise a television receiver for receiving broadcasts at least.

The difference between a broadcast and a communication made over a packet-based network is that broadcast signals are transmitted indiscriminately, without transmitting to selected destination devices and regardless of whether the end-user has selected to receive the signal (although a decryption key or such like may still be required so that only authorised users can derive meaningful information from the television signal for viewing). Packet-based communications on the other hand are point-to-point, with an address of the intended destination device being included in the packets. In the case of packet-based television signals transmitted over the Internet, these are still point-to-multipoint communications rather than a broadcast.

Eachcomputer terminal102 is installed with acommunication client application110. Eachcomputer terminal102 also comprises anaudio transceiver111 comprising a speaker and microphone, e.g. in the form of a headset or handset, or a built-in speaker and microphone.Most computer terminals102 preferably also comprise awebcam112. Furthermore, eachtelevision set103 comprises an embedded processor and memory installed with a version of thecommunication client application113 specially adapted for running on a television set. Eachtelevision set103 also comprises awebcam115 and an audio transceiver with speaker and microphone, or is connected or communicable with such components. In a particularly preferred embodiment an audio transceiver is provided in aremote control unit114 of thetelevision103, discussed shortly.

Thecommunication client applications110 and113 are preferably peer-to-peer clients for setting-up and conducting VoIP calls according to peer-to-peer principles as discussed above. To that end, a peer-to-peer backend server104 is coupled to theInternet101 for receiving registration requests from theclient applications111 and113. The back-end server104 is arranged to distribute UIC certificates to therespective client applications111 and113 running on thecomputer terminals102 andtelevision sets103 in response to the registration requests. Once registered and thus in possession of a UIC certificate, theclient applications111 and/or113 can look-up one another's addresses, exchange and authenticate one another's certificates, and thus establish a voice or video call over theInternet101. It will be appreciated however that other kinds of communication client could alternatively be used, e.g. based on centralized server-based call set-up.

In addition, thecommunication system100 may comprise atelephone network107 such as a circuit-switched network, and agateway106 connecting between theInternet101 and thetelephone network107. A gateway version of the client application is arranged to run on thegateway106, and acommunication client application110 or113 running on acomputer terminal102 ortelevision set103 is thus able to establish a call with adedicated phone unit109 of thetelephone network107. This is achieved by establishing a connection with the client on thegateway106 using peer-to-peer call set-up and then supplying the relevant telephone number to the gateway107 (effectively the user'sclient110 or113 sees thegateway106 as a peer). Thephone network107 may for example comprise a fixed-line network (“landline”) and/or a mobile cellular network.

Eachtelevision set103 has an associatedremote control unit114, an example of which is illustrated inFIG. 2.

As shown inFIG. 2, the remote control unit (or just “remote control”) comprises amicrophone201,speaker202, a first remote interface in the form of an infrared (IR)transmitter203, and a second remote interface in the form of a short-range RF interface204 such as a Bluetooth interface. Themicrophone201 andspeaker202 are operatively coupled to theBluetooth interface204. Theremote control114 is thus arranged to communicate voice signals from themicrophone201 to thetelevision103 via theBluetooth interface204, and to receive voice signals from thetelevision103 via theBluetooth interface204 for playing out of thespeaker202.

Theremote control114 further comprises a plurality of buttons operatively coupled to theinfrared transmitter203, arranged so as to allow the user to control thetelevision103 via theinfrared transmitter203. The buttons comprise a “standby”button205 for setting the television into a low-power mode. The buttons further comprise numerical oralphanumeric buttons206 for changing channel or supplying other numerical or alphanumerical data to thetelevision103;function buttons208 for controlling various functions of thetelevision103, e.g. for controlling a cursor and/or menu system; and optionallydedicated calling buttons207 for performing specific dedicated operations relating to the calling functionality of theclient application113, e.g. “call”, “hang up”, or buttons for zooming in and out during a video call.

FIG. 3ais a schematic block diagram of atelevision set103 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Thetelevision set103 is a dedicated television unit in the sense that its primary purpose is as a television, and is designed to fulfil the role of a family or household television. However, at the same time it is additionally provided with secondary embedded functionality such as VoIP calling.

The televisions set103 comprises, within a single casing: an embeddedprocessing apparatus301; a random access memory (RAM)319; and an embeddednon-volatile storage device318 which may comprise an electronically erasable and reprogrammable memory (EEPROM or “flash” memory), a magnetic storage medium, and/or a one-time writable ROM. Thenon-volatile storage device318 is coupled to theprocessing apparatus301 and stores a basic operating system (OS)326, atelevision application330, and acommunication client application113 such as a VoIP client. Theprocessing apparatus301 is arranged to execute theoperating system326, e.g. either by fetching instructions directly from ROM or by first loading from a flash memory into theRAM319 before fetching. When executed, theoperating system326 is configured to load thetelevision application330 andclient application113 intoRAM319 and schedule them for execution on theprocessing apparatus301. Theprocessing apparatus301 is thus arranged to run thetelevision application330 andclient application113 under control of theoperating system326. In embodiments only aminimal operating system326 may be required, in the form of a basic scheduler.

Thetelevision set103 further comprises, within the same casing: avideo frame buffer320 and user interface (UI)frame buffer322,video hardware324, ascreen309, anamplifier314 andspeaker316 or output to an external speaker or headphones, atelevision receiver304, an external audio-video (AV)input306 such as a SCART or HDMI input from an external source, a webcam orwebcam input308 for connecting to an external webcam, anetwork interface302 in the form of a first short-range RF transceiver such as a wi-fi transceiver, a firstremote interface310 in the form of an infrared (IR) receiver, and a second remote interface in the form of a second short-range RF transceiver312 such as a Bluetooth transceiver.

Thevideo frame buffer320 and user interface (UI)frame buffer322 each have an input coupled to theprocessing apparatus301. Thevideo hardware324 has an input coupled to the outputs of thevideo frame buffer320 andUI frame buffer322. Thescreen309 has an input to the output of thevideo hardware324. In embodiments, theframe buffers320 and322 could be dedicated hardware buffers or alternatively could be implemented in a general purpose memory. Theamplifier314 has an input coupled to theprocessing apparatus301 and an output coupled to thespeaker316. Theprocessing apparatus301 is further coupled to thenetwork interface302,television receiver304,auxiliary input306,webcam input308,infrared interface310, andBluetooth interface312.

Any or all of the above components may be coupled to theprocessing apparatus301 via intermediate components such as a bus and/or cache (not shown), as will be understood by a person skilled in the art.

Thetelevision receiver304 comprises an input for connecting to at least one reception means such as an antenna, satellite dish or cable line, and is thus arranged to receive television broadcast signals from thetelevision network108 via the reception means. Thetelevision receiver304 is a hardware front-end which may comprise for example: sampling circuitry, a low noise amplifier, a filter, a mixer, and/or an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). Once received by thetelevision receiver unit304, the television signals are thus made available to theprocessing apparatus301 for signal processing. Thetelevision application330 comprises a signal processing engine in the form of code which, when executed, performs at least some of the required signal processing on the received television signals. The processed television signals are then output to thevideo frame buffer320 andamplifier314 for consumption by the end user. The signal processing engine may comprise for example: a digital filter, demodulator, demultiplexer, decoder, decryption block, and/or error checking block. However, different ways of allocating the television receiver and processing functionality between software and dedicated hardware are also possible. E.g. in embodiments, more of the functionality such as the demultiplexing could be moved to the receiver front-end304. Techniques for receiving and processing television signals will be known to a person skilled in the art.

In the case of traditional analogue television broadcasts, the signals of a plurality of different concurrent programs (of different TV channels) are frequency-division multiplexed over the airwaves by being transmitted on different frequencies. Thetelevision receiver304 will then comprise a tuning circuit to demultiplex the broadcasts and thereby separate out the signal of the required programme. In the case of digital television broadcasts, the signals of different concurrent programs are each divided into packets and interleaved so as to time-division multiplex the different programs' signals into a transport stream for broadcast. The signal processing engine of thetelevision application330 will then comprise a packet filter to demultiplex the packets of different transport streams and so separate out the signal of the required programme. Multiple transport streams may also be broadcast on different frequencies, requiring a tuner as well. Furthermore, for digital television, one or more of the transport streams may comprise additional programme information such as an electronic programme guide (EPG).

Video signals for output to thetelevision screen309 may also be received via theAV input306 from an external source such as a DVD player or games console.

Thetelevision application330 further comprises a UI graphics engine, a remote protocol engine, an application programming interface (API), and a television UI layer. The overall operation of the signal processing engine, UI graphics engine, remote protocol engine and API is controlled by the television UI layer. The user can select which broadcast to view by pressingbuttons205,206,208 on theremote control114, causing theremote control114 to communicate control signals to theprocessing apparatus301 via theinfrared transmitter203 andreceiver310. The user may also use the buttons in a similar manner to view additional information such as the EPG or control menus, and to navigate the EPG or menus. The relevant control signals are interpreted by the remote protocol engine of thetelevision application113, which in turn communicates with the television UI layer. In response, the television UI layer controls the signal processing engine to output the relevant television programme to thevideo frame buffer320, and/or controls the UI graphics engine to output graphics to the UI frame buffer322 (e.g. to display the graphics of the menu or EPG). The frame buffers320 and/or322 supply their contents to thevideo hardware324 for display on thescreen309. In embodiments theUI frame buffer322 andvideo hardware324 may be arranged to overlay UI graphics over the current television programme in a partially transparent manner, and/or to leave at least part of the television programme visible.

As mentioned, thetelevision set103 comprises anetwork interface302. In preferred embodiments this takes the form of a wireless transceiver such as a wi-fi transceiver, for communicating wirelessly with a household or office-basedwireless router303 as found in most modern homes or offices. Therouter303 in turn connects to theInternet101. However, in alternative embodiments thenetwork interface302 may comprise other options such as a wired modern or a port to an external wired modem.

Thecommunication client application330 comprises a protocol stack having an I/O layer which, when executed on theprocessing apparatus301, is operable to transmit and receive signals over theInternet101 via thenetwork interface302. The I/O layer comprises a network signalling protocol for transmitting and receiving control signals over theInternet101 via thenetwork interface302. The I/O layer may also comprise an API for communicating with the API of thetelevision application301.

The I/O layer further comprises a voice engine comprising a voice codec. The voice engine is arranged to accept speech signals from themicrophone201, and to encode those speech signals for transmission over theinternet101 via thenetwork interface302. The voice engine is also arranged to decode speech signals received over theInternet101 via thenetwork interface302, for output to the television'samplifier314 andspeaker316, or to thespeaker202 in theremote control114 via the Bluetooth interfaces312 and204. The I/O layer further comprises a video engine comprising a video codec. The video engine is arranged to accept video signals from thewebcam input308, and to encode those video signals for transmission over theInternet101 via thenetwork interface302. The video engine is also arranged to decode video signals received over theInternet101 via thenetwork interface302, for output to theUI frame buffer322,video hardware326 andscreen309. Alternatively, in a full-screen mode the video codec could output video via thevideo frame buffer320.

Higher up the protocol stack, theclient application113 comprises a client engine which is responsible for call-set up. The client engine controls the network signalling protocol engine of theclient113 in order to establish a live voice or video call with anotheruser terminal102 or103 over theInternet101, preferably using P2P call set-up as discussed above, or potentially using a centralized call set-up via a server. The client engine may also handle other functions such as connection management, authentication, encryption, and/or exchanging presence information with theclient applications111 or113 of other user terminals (presence information indicates the availability of a user for communication, and is preferably at least partially defined by the respective user themselves).

Even higher up the protocol stack, theclient application113 comprises a client UI layer which is responsible for the client's user interface. The client UI layer is operable to generate a client user interface for output to theUI frame buffer322,video hardware324 andscreen309. This may be output via the APIs and the UI graphics engine of theTV application330 under control of the TV UI layer (or alternatively theclient application113 could be provided with its own UI graphics protocol to output graphics to theUI frame buffer322 directly). The client user interface thus presents the user with on-screen controls which they can activate usingbuttons206,207,208 on theremote control114. Based on these button presses, theremote control114 communicates control signals to theprocessing apparatus301 via theinfrared transmitter203 andreceiver310. These control signals may be interpreted by the UI protocol engine in thetelevision application330 and then signalled via the APIs to the I/O layer of the client application113 (or alternatively the I/O layer of theclient application113 could be provided with its own remote control protocol to interpret these control signals directly). In turn, the protocol of the I/O layer of theclient113 communicates with the client UI layer. The client UI layer is thus configured to respond to user inputs in order to control the overall operation of theclient application113, e.g. allowing a user to select contacts to call, hang up, etc.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example user interface which could be displayed on thescreen309 by theclient application113, when summoned by the user using the relevant buttons of the remote114. The user interface may be displayed only on part of thescreen309, allowing at least a portion of a currently viewed programme to remain visible; or may alternatively take up thewhole screen309. The displayed user interface comprises a number of panels. For example, the user interface may comprise afirst panel402 showing profile information of the user of thetelevision103 on which theclient113 is running. E.g. the profile information may comprise the user's name, an “avatar image” (a picture which the user has chosen to represent themselves), and/or a “mood message” (a short user-defined statement for inclusion in their profile). Further, the user interface may comprise asecond panel404 showing a list of the user's contacts (preferably theclient113 is configured to only allow calls between users who have agreed to be contacts). Further, the user interface may comprise athird panel406 showing a profile of a selected one of the contacts, and/or afourth panel408 providing a menu or other controls for selecting to call the selected contact.

Furthermore, the UI layer of theclient113 may be configured to communicate with the UI layer of thetelevision application330, via the APIs and theoperating system326. This allows theclient application113 andtelevision application330 to negotiate control of thescreen309 and/orspeaker316 or202.

Whether theclient application113 ortelevision application330 takes precedence may depend on the implementation and/or situation. Since thetelevision set103 is primarily a television, then preferably theclient application113 should require permission from thetelevision application330 before controlling thescreen309 orspeaker316 or202. However, in embodiments a user-defined setting may be provided allowing the user to control whether or not theclient application113 can autonomously take control of thescreen309 and/orspeaker316 or202, e.g. to notify the user in event of an incoming call. This setting would preferably be stored in anon-volatile memory318 and be readable by theclient application113 and/ortelevision application330. E.g. thetelevision application330 may be configured to read a setting from memory and, if set, to unequivocally allow theclient application113 to control the screen and/or speaker. Alternatively theclient application113 may be configured to read a setting from memory and, if set, to control the screen and/or speaker without seeking permission from thetelevision application330.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one such user setting is read by theclient application113, and when set theclient application113 is configured to defer any notifications of incoming VoIP calls or other incoming communication events received over theInternet101 until a suitable juncture in the user's television viewing. This could mean deferring a notification until after a television programme is finished, or until some other suitable juncture in the programme such as a commercial break. Another possibility would be to defer a notification until after video signals cease to be received via theAV input306 from an external source such as DVD player or games console. Generally speaking, incoming communication events signalled asynchronously to thetelevision set103 over theInternet101 via thenetwork interface302 are postponed in deference to a higher-priority source such as thetelevision receiver308 andtelevision network108, orAV input306 and external source.

Note that the concept of deferring a notification is distinct and advantageous over the mere outright suppression of a notification. Suppressing the notification would mean barring it altogether so as never to be output to the user; whereas deferral requires that the notification will still output to the user, but postponed until some later point in time.

In order to do this, theclient application113 is configured with a mechanism for delineating the viewing activity in question. Theclient application113 will not understand the actual user content of the television programme or such like, so cannot directly tell when one programme ends and another begins, or cannot directly tell the difference between the main programme and the commercial breaks. Therefore a delineation mechanism is required, for which there are a number of options as discussed below.

A first, preferred mechanism involves receiving additional programme information broadcast over thetelevision network108. In this case the additional programme information is received by theclient application113 via thetelevision receiver308, and comprises timing information which can be used by theclient application113 to delineate the television programme for the purpose of deferring notifications.

As illustrated schematically inFIG. 6, a digital television broadcast may compriseaudio data601 andvideo data602 of one or more programme streams all interleaved together (i.e. time-division multiplexed) into a combined transport stream for transmission on a particular frequency. Also interleaved into the transport stream isadditional program information603 providing timing information for the one or more programmes (potentially amongst other information such as subtitles and textual programme summaries or précis). Theadditional programme information603 may take the form of a general data stream multiplexed into the transport stream in conjunction with a plurality of programme streams, providing programme information for a plurality of programmes. An example of this would be an electronic program guide (EPG). Alternatively or additionally, individual respective programme information may be provided in the stream of each programme. The audio data, video data and additional programme information are decoded by the signal processing engine of thetelevision application331, and the required programme timing information can be accessed by theclient application113 via the APIs under control of the TV UI layer.

In one variant of this first mechanism, theprogramme timing information603 comprises programme schedule information such as the EPG. That is, nominal information about when the programme or programmes are scheduled to start and end. For example, the API of theclient application113 may enable it to access the EPG decoded by the signal processing engine of thetelevision application331. Theclient113 can thereby determine that the television programme currently being viewed on thescreen309 is scheduled to end at a particular time, and defer the notification until that time.

An example is shown inFIG. 5a. Here, theclient113 determines via the API to the EPG that the television programme currently being viewed is scheduled to run from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm. If an incoming call is signalled over theInternet101 and received at thenetwork interface302 during the program, e.g. say at 8:13 pm, then theclient application113 will temporarily block the notification of the incoming call until the scheduled finishing time at 9:00 pm. A similar process would occur if an incoming IM chat message is received during the programme. Following the scheduled end time of the programme (either at that time or just after), theclient application113 will then take control of thescreen309 in order to display alist503 of any one or more communication events missed during the programme. Thelist503 preferably comprises a control such as acursor505 which can be controlled by the user, e.g. viafunction buttons208 on the remote control, to thereby operate theclient113 initiate a return VoIP call or other corresponding packet-based communication with the respective other user.

In another variant of the first mechanism, theprogramme timing information603 may comprise a real-time indication of the programme's actual end time (which can be accessed by the client via the API to the television application in a similar manner as discussed above).

As shown inFIG. 5b, if the programme overruns until a later time than scheduled, e.g. say 9:02 pm, then theclient113 will not display thelist503 of missed events until the actual end time of 9:02 pm. This advantageously avoids the deferred notifications interfering with the last few minutes of a programme (which could even be the most critical part of the programme in the case of a suspense drama for instance). Theclient113 will also defer any incoming communications received during the overrunning period (e.g. at 9:01 pm).

Further, as shown inFIG. 5c, the real-time programme timing information may also indicate the time of breaks in the programme (typically used as commercial breaks to show advertisements, but potentially also used for other purposes such as news bulletins). In this case theclient application113 will be enabled to display the list of missedevents503 during the break.

A second mechanism for delineating the programme is for theclient application113 to download programme timing information via theInternet101 andnetwork interface302, e.g. from a server of a broadcaster, programme production company or third-party service. This downloaded information could comprise either schedule information and/or real-time updates to the scheduled times. This second mechanism has the advantages of the first mechanism, with the added advantage of being compatible with legacy technologies in whichcertain timing information603 may not be available via the broadcast (most digital television broadcasts nowadays do at least include schedule information such as the EPG, but do not all necessarily provide real-time indications of programme timing, and furthermore analogue broadcasts do not include any programme timing information). This could even be used in conjunction with the former variant of the first mechanism in order to provide updates to the schedule information received in thebroadcast603.

A third, less preferred mechanism for delineating the programme is to provide a timer that can be set by the user. The timer may be a feature of theclient application113, or be a feature of thetelevision application330 which may be accessed via the APIs. In this arrangement, the user sets the timer for a predetermined time, and theclient application113 waits until that time before displaying the list of missedevents503. This would have a similar effect as shown inFIG. 5a. As with the former variant of the first mechanism, the third mechanism has the downside of possible interference with the end of an overrunning program, and also has the added downside of requiring an inconvenient user input process. On the other hand this third mechanism has the advantage of being compatible with legacy technologies such as analogue broadcasts which do not include programme timing information, and without requiring additional server infrastructure to provide such information via theinternet101.

A fourth mechanism would be to provide a user-defined “do not disturb” (DND) setting which the client could assert at the beginning of the programme. This could be an existing DND presence status available within theclient application113. In this case theclient application113 is configured to detect when the user de-asserts the DND status, and upon detecting this to automatically display the list of missedevents503.

In some of the above mechanisms it may be necessary for theclient application113 to monitor the current time. This could be done based on alocal clock340, or by receiving updates of the current time from theInternet101 ortelevision network108. However, using the latter variant of the first mechanism, there may be no need to monitor the current time if theprogramme timing information603 provides a real-time trigger (as opposed to a real-time update of the end time in hours and minutes of the day). There will also be no need to monitor the current time in the fourth, DND-based mechanism.

In a particularly advantageous addition to the present invention, theclient application113 may be further configured to return automated messages to the callers of the missed calls (or more generally to the other users who are the originators of the missed communication events). The automated message is returned by theclient application113 when an incoming communication event is received during an ongoing programme, without requiring an input from the local user viewing the programme (the callee). It is transmitted to the other, remote user (the caller) via thenetwork interface302 andInternet101, and informs the caller that the callee is unavailable. Preferably the automated message indicates to the caller the reason why the callee is unavailable (watching TV). In one particularly preferred embodiment, theclient application113 may be configured to use the programme schedule or other timing information to predict when the callee is likely to become available again (i.e. when the current programme is due to finish), and may include this predicted information in the automated message for the benefit of the caller. This could even be incorporated as a new kind of presence status.

It will be appreciated that the above embodiments have been described only by way of example.

For instance, the invention is not limited to on-screen notifications. In other embodiments the notifications may comprise audible notifications output via aspeaker316 or202, and it may desirable to defer the audible notifications so that they do not disrupt the user's experience of a current television programme.

Further, the invention is not limited to any particular mechanism for delineating a television program or other viewing activity. A number of examples have been described above, and others may become apparent to a person skilled in the art given the disclosure herein. For example notifications could be deferred until the user changes channel, changes to a different source such as from television programmes toAV input308, or accesses the EPG. In another example the client could access the decoded audio via an API to thetelevision application330 and attempt to determine when a commercial break occurs based on a change in peak or average volume levels (broadcasters tend to increase the volume during commercial breaks to get the user's attention, though this method would be vulnerable to false alarms e.g. during action sequences of a programme).

Note also that the term “programme” does not limit to any particular kind of programme content, and could refer for example to a film, soap opera, documentary, sporting event, news program, etc.

Further, other ways of allocating the various client, television and other functionality amongst different processors are envisaged. For example, one or more dedicated signal processors (DSPs) could be arranged to execute the television signal processing engine of thetelevision application330 and/or the video engine and/or voice engine of theclient application113; with one or more separate CPUs being arranged to execute the UI layer, client engine, protocol and graphics engines of theclient application113 and/or the UI layer and protocol and graphics engines of thetelevision application330. In another example, the client application and television application could each be run on a different respective CPU embedded in thetelevision set103. Some or all of the functionality of thetelevision application330 could alternatively be implemented in dedicated hardware, including the possibility of hardwired signal processing apparatus in the television receiver front-end304.

Furthermore, although the preferred application, the invention is not limited to use in a television set having the above components including television screen all within one single self-contained casing. In another application, the invention could be implemented in a set-top box for plugging into such a television set. In that case the diagram would be similar to that ofFIG. 3abut with thetelevision hardware320,322,324 andscreen309 replaced by an audio-video (AV) output.

In another application illustrated inFIG. 3b, theclient application113 may be installed on agames console105. Similarly to thetelevision103, theconsole105 comprises aprocessing apparatus301 in the form of one or more CPUs, coupled to: a non-volatile storage means318 such as hard drive, flash memory and/or optical disc drive; aRAM319; a webcam orinput308 from a webcam; and anetwork interface302 such as a wi-fi transceiver for accessing a packet-based network such as the Internet101 (e.g. via wireless router303). Theprocessing apparatus301 is further coupled to dedicatedgaming graphics hardware325 and dedicatedaudio hardware327, which in turn connect to an audio-video (AV)output307 for connecting theconsole105 to atelevision set103. Theprocessing apparatus301 is further coupled to anadditional wireless interface315 operating on a band suitable for communicating to and from awireless gamepad317 or other such game controller (or alternatively a wired interface could be provided). Thenon-volatile storage318 supplies theclient application113 and a video game331 (not necessarily from the same storage unit or medium), both arranged for execution on the processing apparatus301 (preferably under control of an operating system326). The video game comprises a console library arranged to handle the I/O with thevarious devices315,325,327 and308; a game engine arranged to perform the underlying game logic, and a game UI layer arranged to generate game graphics and sound for output via the console library and graphics andsound hardware325,327.

Thevideo game331 also comprises an API for communicating with the API of theclient application113 via theOS326. The APIs may be used to signal occurrences within thevideo game331 to theclient113, and these signalled occurrences may be used by theclient113 to delineate the video game for the purpose of deferring notifications. For example, notifications of an incoming call could be deferred until a player dies or loses within the video game. This may be a more suitable juncture to notify the user than mid-game when he or she may not wish to be distracted.

Generally speaking the present invention can be applied to any media appliance having video apparatus for outputting signals to a television screen. The video apparatus may comprise any combination of dedicated hardware and/or regions of memory storing software modules, with any software modules being executed on either the same or a different processor unit as theclient application103. Depending on the appliance and the implementation, the video apparatus may take different forms. In the example television set ofFIG. 3afor example, the video apparatus may be said to comprise a combination of theframe buffers320 and322,video hardware324, and/or a region of thenon-volatile memory318 storing signal processing code of the television application. In theexample console105 ofFIG. 3b, the video apparatus may be said to comprise thevideo hardware325,external AV output307, and/or a region of thenon-volatile storage318 storing graphics processing code of thevideo game331.

Further, the present invention need not be limited by television broadcasts. With increasing popularity of packet-based television services, there may be interest in the idea of a dedicated television set or set-top box with the capability of receiving packet-based television signals, either over the Internet or a dedicated packet-based service.

Furthermore, note that the present invention is not limited particularly to VoIP or to a peer-to-peer topology. Other packet-based networks, protocols and methods of call set-up may also be used.

Other variations of the present invention may be apparent to a person skilled in the art given the disclosure herein. The scope of the present invention is not limited by the described embodiments, but only by the appendant claims.

Claims (23)

The invention claimed is:

1. A media appliance comprising:

video apparatus for outputting signals to a screen;

a memory storing a communication client application;

a control device allowing a user to control the output of signals from the video apparatus to the screen, thereby selecting a viewing activity, the control device configured to receive audio from the user and to communicate audio received from the user to the communication client application;

a network interface for accessing a packet-based network;

and

processing apparatus, coupled to the memory, network interface and video apparatus, and arranged to execute the communication client application; that when executed performs operations including:

enabling the user to conduct bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network, the audio reception and communication capabilities of the control device to be utilized by the user in conducting the bidirectional communications, and outputting notifications to the user of incoming communication events received from other users over the packet-based network;

deferring one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during said viewing activity, determining a delineation corresponding to a break in the viewing activity for insertion of said notifications that are deferred, and automatically outputting the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation; and

automatically sending, prior to said delineation, automated messages to one or more originators of the one or more incoming communication events received during the viewing activity, the automated messages configured to indicate unavailability of the user to the one or more originators.

2. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein:

the media appliance comprises a television receiver for receiving television signals representing television programmes via a television network;

the video apparatus is coupled to the television receiver, and operable to output the television signals of selected television programmes from the television receiver to the screen;

the control device allows a user to control the output of television signals to the screen, thereby selecting a television programme as said viewing activity; and

the client application is configured to defer one or more notifications of incoming communication events received during the selected television programme, determine a delineation in the selected television programme, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

3. The media appliance ofclaim 2, wherein the television receiver is arranged to receive the television signals via a broadcasting network.

4. The media appliance ofclaim 2, being one of: a television set comprising said screen, and a set-top box for plugging into a television set.

5. The media appliance ofclaim 2, wherein the client application is configured to determine said delineation based on information received by the television receiver via said television network, relating to the selected television programme.

6. The media appliance ofclaim 5, wherein the client application is configured to determine said delineation by detecting a real-time indication received by the television receiver via said network relating to the selected television programme, and output the one or more notifications to the user upon detecting said indication.

7. The media appliance ofclaim 6, wherein said indication indicates one of: the end of the selected television programme, and a break in the selected television programme.

8. The media appliance ofclaim 5, wherein said information comprises programme schedule information relating to the selected programme.

9. The media appliance ofclaim 8, wherein the client application comprises an API for accessing an electronic programming guide (EPG) received by the television receiver via said network, and is configured to determine said delineation based on scheduling information from the EPG relating to the selected programme.

10. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein the client application is configured to determine said delineation based on information received over the packet-based network via the network interface relating to the selected television programme.

11. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein the client application is configured to detect said delineation based on a timer set by the user.

12. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein the client application is configured to detect said delineation based on a user input indicating the delineation.

13. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein:

the video apparatus comprises a gaming system operable to output graphics signals of a video game to the screen;

the control device allows a user to control the output of graphics signals to the screen, and to thereby select the video game as said viewing activity; and

the client application is configured to defer one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during the video game, determine a delineation in the video game, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

14. The media appliance ofclaim 13, wherein the client application is configured to detect said delineation when a player dies or loses within the video game.

15. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein:

the video apparatus comprises an input from an external source of video signals, and is operable to output the video signals to the screen;

the control device allows a user to control the output of video signals to the screen, and to thereby select the external source for said viewing activity; and

the client application is configured to determine said delineation based on a status of the external source.

16. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein the client application is configured to output the one or more deferred notifications for display on the screen.

17. The media appliance ofclaim 16, wherein the client application is configured to output the one or more deferred notifications for display on the screen along with an on-screen control allowing the user to initiate a return communication with a corresponding other user via the packet-based network.

18. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein the control device further comprises a speaker and a short-range radio frequency (RF) interface, the control device further configured to communicate voice signals to, and receive voice signals from, the communication client application via the short-range RF interface.

19. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein the client application is configured to use programme schedule information associated with the viewing activity to supply expected information regarding said delineation, and include a prediction of the user's expected availability, in said automated message sent to the senders of the one or more incoming communication events.

20. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein the communication client comprises a user-setting arranged to toggle between a first mode of operation in which notifications of incoming communication events received during the viewing activity are deferred, and a second mode of operation in which such notifications are not deferred and are instead output to the user during the viewing activity.

21. The media appliance ofclaim 1, wherein the incoming communication event comprises an incoming packet-based voice or video call.

22. A method of operating a media appliance having video apparatus for outputting signals to a screen, a network interface for accessing a packet-based network, and a processing apparatus for executing a communication client application; the method comprising:

receiving an input from a control device allowing a user to control the output of signals from the video apparatus to the screen, thereby selecting a viewing activity, the control device configured to receive voice signals from the user and communicate voice signals received from the user to the communication client application;

executing the communication client application on the processing apparatus of the media appliance operable to enable bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network, the control device to be utilized by the user in conducting the bidirectional communications, and output notifications to the user of incoming communication events received from other users over the packet-based network;

deferring one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during said viewing activity, determining a delineation corresponding to a break in the viewing activity for insertion of said notifications that are deferred, and automatically outputting the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation; and

automatically sending, responsive to said incoming communication events received during the viewing activity, without requiring an input from the user viewing the viewing activity, and prior to said delineation, automated messages to one or more originators of the one or more incoming communication events to indicate unavailability of the user to the one more originators.

23. A communication client application for operating a media appliance having video apparatus for outputting signals to a screen and a network interface for accessing a packet-based network, the communication client application comprising code embodied on a computer-readable medium and configured so as when executed on an embedded processor of the media appliance to:

receive an input from a control device allowing a user to control the output of signals from a video apparatus to the screen, thereby selecting a viewing activity, the control device having integrated functionality for voice communications;

enable the user to conduct bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network, the integrated voice communications functionality of the control device to be utilized by the user in conducting the bidirectional communications;

output notifications to the user of incoming communication events received from other users over the packet-based network;

defer one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during said viewing activity, determining a delineation corresponding to a break in the viewing activity for insertion of said notifications that are deferred, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation; and

responsive to said incoming communication events received during the viewing activity, without requiring an input from the user viewing the viewing activity, and prior to said delineation, automatically notify senders associated with the incoming communication events for which notifications are deferred with automated messages that indicate unavailability of the user and a reason for the unavailability.

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